1 Kings 3:4

1 Kings 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
• New International Version (NIV)The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

Context of 1 Kings 3:4

2The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no House built for the Name of Adonai until those days. 3Now Solomon loved Adonai, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he kept sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. So the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Upon this very altar Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings. 5At Gibeon Adonai appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said: “Ask for what should I give you?” 6Solomon said: “You have shown my father Your servant David great lovingkindness, as he walked before You in truth, righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You. Indeed, You have kept this great lovingkindness for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.

1 Kings 3:4 word by word

וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ גִּבְעֹ֙נָה֙ לִזְבֹּ֣חַ שָׁ֔ם כִּ֥י הִ֖יא הַבָּמָ֣ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה אֶ֤לֶף עֹלוֹת֙ יַעֲלֶ֣ה שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה עַ֖ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֥חַ הַהֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to Gibeonגִּבְעוֹןgib‛ôn · GibeonH1391
• to sacrificeזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
• there; for thatהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• high placeבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
• a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• burnt offeringsעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
• did Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
• offerעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: offer upH5927
• upon that altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196

Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:4

• 1 Kings 9:2that Adonai appeared to Solomon a second time, just as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
• Joshua 9:3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
• Joshua 10:2So he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a large city, as one of the royal cities—in fact, larger than Ai—and all its men were mighty.
• 1 Chronicles 16:39Also he left Zadok the kohen and his fellow kohanim before the Tabernacle of Adonai in the high place that was at Gibeon
• 1 Chronicles 21:29For the Tabernacle of Adonai, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.
• 2 Chronicles 1:3and Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the Tent of Meeting of God was there, which Moses the servant of Adonai had made in the wilderness.
• 1 Kings 8:63Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to Adonai: 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the House of Adonai.
• 2 Chronicles 1:6So Solomon went up before Adonai to the bronze altar that was at the Tent of Meeting and offered 1,000 burnt offerings on it.
• 2 Chronicles 29:32The number of the burnt offerings that the congregation brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs—all of these as a burnt offering to Adonai.
• 2 Chronicles 30:24Hezekiah king of Judah contributed 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep to the congregation, and the officials contributed 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep to the congregation, and great numbers of kohanim consecrated themselves.
• Isaiah 40:16Lebanon is not enough to burn, or its animals enough for a burnt offering.
• Matthew 6:6But you, when you pray, go into your inner room; and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Gibeon - The transfer to Gibeon of the “tabernacle of the congregation,” and the brass “altar of burnt offerings” made by Moses, which were removed there from Nob (compare 1 Samuel 21:6, with marginal references “i,” “k”), had made it “the great high-place,” more sacred, i. e., than any other in the holy land, unless it were Mount Zion where the ark had been conveyed by David. For the position of Gibeon, see Joshua 9:3 note. A thousand burnt offerings did…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The city of Gibeon was six miles northwest of Jerusalem. Its altar was known as the great high place. It was a major worship site for large sacrifices. Gibeon also hosted the tabernacle (a sacred tent used for worship) (1 Chronicles 16:39–40; 21:29; 2 Chronicles 1:2–6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there--The old tabernacle and the brazen altar which Moses had made in the wilderness were there (1Ch 16:39; 21:29; 2Ch 1:3-6). The royal progress was of public importance. It was a season of national devotion. The king was accompanied by his principal nobility (2Ch 1:2); and, as the occasion was most probably one of the great annual festivals which lasted seven days, the rank of the offerer and the succession of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 3:4

• Children
• Dream
• Gibeon
• High Places
• Prayer
• Solomon

In the dictionaries

• Gibeon
• Solomon
• High place
• Affinity
• Divide
• Yearn
• Abishag
• Altar
• Bamah
• Criticism

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings